Canada's Alouette aluminium smelter denies force majeure rumours

LONDON, April 18 (Reuters) - The Alouette aluminium smelter in Canada, the biggest in the Americas, does not plan to declare force majeure, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday, denying a market rumour.

There was speculation in the market that Alouette may have to take the measure due to a shortage of raw material alumina.

“We have not declared force majeure and we do not intend to declare it either,” a spokeswoman told Reuters.

The operation has an annual capacity of 600,000 tonnes of primary aluminium, according to its website.

The smelter is owned by a consortium, with 40 percent owned by Rio Tinto, 20 percent stakes held by both AMAG Austria Metall AG and Norsk Hydro, 13.3 percent by Japan’s Marubeni and 6.7 percent by Investissement Québec. (Reporting by Eric Onstad; Editing by Adrian Croft)